Page:A Voyage of Discovery and Research in the Southern and Antarctic Regions Vol 2.djvu/183

] people, and weighed seventy-eight pounds. They are remarkably stupid and allow you to approach them so near as to strike them on the head with a bludgeon, and sometimes, if knocked off the ice into the water, they will almost immediately leap upon it again as if to attack you, but without the smallest means either of offence or defence. They were first discovered during Captain Cook's voyage to these regions, and the beautiful unpublished drawing of Forster the naturalist, has supplied the only figures and accounts which have been given to the public, both by British and foreign writers on natural history. Mr. Gray has, therefore, named it in the zoology of our voyage, Aptenodytes Forsteri, of which we were fortunate in bringing the first perfect specimens to England. Some of these were preserved entire in casks of strong pickle, that the physiologist and comparative anatomist might have an opportunity of thoroughly examining the structure of this wonderful creature. Its principal food consists of various species of cancri and other crustaceous animals; and in its stomach we frequently found from two to ten pounds' weight of pebbles, consisting of granite, quartz, and trappeari rocks. Its capture afforded great amusement to our people, for when alarmed and endeavouring to escape, it makes its way over deep snow faster than they could follow it: by lying down on its belly and impelling itself by its powerful feet, it slides along upon the surface of the snow at a great pace,